Westerner Staff Interviews WDTV

Westerner staff members Ana Barrett, Johnny Molony, & Sydney Lundgren get interviewed by WDTV staff members Chris Dempsey & Mackenzie Hefel. In the end the Westerner members show you how to "Crop it Like it's Hot!"

Creative Writing and Journalistic Publications Presents the Bobcat Bulletin

BY GRETCHEN KRATOCHWILL, ENGLISH TEACHER & NEWSPAPER ADVISOR

This year, I am pleased to announce that the Bobcat Bulletin will be a student-generated project.  Student contributors within this edition are enrolled in Western Dubuque High School's new course offering--Creative Writing and Journalistic Publications.  Thus far, these students have written two poems and a variety of articles, as seen in this issue.  In addition, the newspaper staff will continue to submit publications to the Dyersville Commercial and the Cascade Pioneer.  The students will also be experimenting with a variety of creative genres in class.  Our next project involves writing and illustrating children's stories. 

Later this year, we will be showcasing some of this student work in our first annual "Writer's Night Out."  This night is to be held Dec. 15 in the WDHS old gymnasium (more information to come in our next issue).  Two poems, two short stories or essays, and three one-act plays will be selected by a panel of judges.  Students whose one-act plays are selected will have the chance to team with the WDHS Drama Department and direct their own works.  These plays and the other selected pieces will be performed in a dinner-theater atmosphere. 

Finally, you may notice some changes within the Bobcat Bulletin, as students are currently learning the formatting associated with AP (Associated Press) Style.  For example, AP Style does not utilize the standard format for book or movie titles; instead of italicizing these titles--which students would need to do in their papers for English class--AP Style places these titles in quotation marks.  However, AP prefers magazine and newspaper titles to remain italicized.  You can imagine the confusion; yet, the students who have contributed to this issue are learning the rigid structure of journalism fast! 


Thanks for reading!  We hope you enjoy this issue and those to come! 

 

Fall Play Announcement

 

 

BY JARRAKA ELSNER AND ALLY ZAUCHE

 

This year, the WDHS Drama Department is putting on the play “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller. “The Crucible” is a story that tells about the community of Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1690s during the Salem Witch Trials. The play centers around a group of girls accusing people of being witches. As the accusations start, so does the panic, and scandals begin to circulate. This whole play is an representation of the Red Scare, a time when people were scared about the spread of communism. This year, the play will be performed on Nov. 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. in the WDHS old gymnasium. See poster above for more information.

 

OPUS Preparation

BY BROOKE BOCKENSTEDT 

 

 

OPUS is an honor choir for the best of the best freshmen. Tryouts were the week of Sept. 10 for Western Dubuque’s freshmen: Kennadee Bockenstedt, Erica O’Rourke, Teresa Brehm, Madison Schabilion, Hailey MacInerney, and Zech Merkes. These singers have been practicing since the beginning of the school year with most of the students rehearsing every day with their vocal teachers. OPUS, a freshman level of All-State, requires much preparation along with stellar vocals and musical technique. A school can submit up to 12 audition tapes; 200 students are accepted into each choir for OPUS. This year the musicians are auditioning on two songs: “Lebenslust” and “Sicutcervus.” O’Rourke, an alto singer, believes her vibrato will help the most in her auditions. Her favorite audition song is “Sicutcervus.” Merkes, a tenor voice, believes he will get into the OPUS choir but is not sure what sets him apart in his vocals. Contrary to  O’Rourke, he enjoys the song “Lebenslust” for the auditions. Good luck to all those who auditioned!

 

2012 Halloween Hoot

BY MEGAN DEMMER

If you’re looking for a good time with a little fright, come down to Western Dubuque’s Halloween Hoot on Oct. 27, 2012. Admission is $3.00. Doors open to the public at 3:00 p.m. Come support the show choirs by having a great time in the carnival with games for all ages. Kids can also participate in the costume contest at 7:30 p.m. The haunted house has light fright for those who dislike big scares and night fright for the braver souls. Aristocats and 5^th Avenue will perform a Halloween-inspired show at 8:00 p.m.

 

Student Book Reviews

A Review of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” By Stephen Chbosky

 

BY CHEYENNE PUETZ

 

In this novel, Charlie is just like any other freshmen starting his first day of high school: nervous about everything. Because the novel is written in letter format from Charlie’s perspective, the reader learns what it is like to be a fifteen-year-old boy struggling to fit in. Charlie brings you with him on his adventure of finding himself and the experiences he has along the way. As you read the book, you come to realize that Charlie is an honest and deep character whose diary-like letters will suck you in and make you think about your own life. Soon to be a movie starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, this book will make you feel every emotion and is worth taking the time to read.  

 

 

A Book Review of “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green

BY COLLEEN HOFFMANN

In this fictional novel, Hazel Grace Lancaster’s life is cut short upon her cancer diagnosis. There is a ‘tumor-shrinking’ miracle drug that can buy her a few years, but her life turns monotonous and boring, consumed by over-protective parents and cancer-support meetings. Until the gorgeous Augustus Waters shows up to a meeting one night and starts to change her life. Hazel Grace is thrown into a whirlwind romance and starts to get the feeling that her life might be more than just “okay.” This book will take you on a wild emotional rollercoaster while tugging at your heartstrings. As a book that appeared on the New York Times’ Bestseller List and Entertainment Weekly calls “‘Luminous,’” it is well worth the read. John Green has written a beautiful work of fiction.

 

Clarke College Art Show



PHOTOGRAPH BY NIKKI CUPPS

Left to right: Bre Honkomp  with her “Pastel Dragons” and “Sea Serpent” pieces, Katy Fishnick with her piece entitled “Dragon,” and Larissa Wilming with her “Clarinet” piece.  These pieces, and those mentioned in the article, will be on display at Clarke College. 

 

 BY BRE HONKOMP

From Oct. 21 until Nov. 9, Clarke College will be displaying artwork from several different schools. Only three students from each school were selected, and each student is only allotted two pieces. The three students from our school are Katy Fishnick, Bre Honkomp, and Larissa Wilming. Katy Fishnick’s pieces are entitled “Dragon” and “Guitars.” She used acrylic paint to create her masterpieces. Katy Fishnick says that her inspiration was, “My guitars hanging on my wall. I have been fascinated by dragons, and I love the freedom to draw them anyway I want.” Bre Honkomp’s pieces are titled “Pastel Dragons” and “Sea Serpent.” She used clay and glaze for “Pastel Dragons” and paper mache with acrylic paint for “Sea Serpent”. Bre Honkomp’s inspiration was from previous drawings she had made. Larissa Wilming’s pieces are “Clarinet” and “Instrument Medley.” She used mixed media and acrylic paint for her projects. Her inspiration was, “My love of music.” After speaking to the three students, I asked Mrs. Vicki Recker, Western Dubuque’s art instructor, how she choose the pieces. She said, “We went through photos of all the pieces from last year’s school art show, and chose the strong pieces from the underclassmen.” Everybody is invited to attend, and students interested in art are encouraged to go.

 

Bobcat Football

BY BRAD PRIER

 

On Friday, Aug. 24, in Dyersville, Iowa, Western Dubuque and Beckman competed once again. Beckman had possession of the ball for the majority of the first quarter. Western Dubuque had a great pass set up by Dylan Kramer to the red-zone (within the 20 yard line). Western Dubuque scored shortly after and the extra point was good to make it 7-0. Beckman scored in the third quarter but the extra point was no good to make the score 7-6. With three minutes left in the game, Beckman had the ball within 30 yards of the end zone, but it proved to be too far for the field goal. Beckman continued to advance but not far enough to make it. With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Beckman fumbled, and Western Dubuque lined up in their victory formation. Western Dubuque has not been lucky since, losing to Maquoketa 7-30 and losing to West Delaware 6-26. Coach Kuhle had this to say, “As always, it is great to beat Beckman.  The team played a hard-fought game and came out on top.  Our defense did a great job.  Keeping them at six points was no easy task.  After the rivalry game, we moved on to the tough Maquoketa team. We made them look much better than they are. We blocked and tackled poorly and paid the price for it.  The week after, we traveled to Manchester.  West Delaware has a very good program.  We played better than we did a week ago.  A couple of key turnovers kept the game from being closer than it was.”  On Sept. 29, for the Homecoming game, the Bobcats will face Oelwein.

 

Bass Choir

BY MEGAN LENANE AND ALLY ZAUCHE

This year the Western Dubuque High School music department decided to add a new choir to the school, making the school have four choirs. The new choir this year is the bass choir, which is a choir made up of men; thus, it is also called the “men's choir.” WDHS decided to add this choir to its curriculum because there was an all-girls choir, which students took an interest in. The number of people in the bass choir this year is 14, which is very good for its first year. The unique thing about the bass choir is the different sound and type of music they sing. The music they sing is more barber-shop because their pitches range from tenor to bass, which gives them a unique sound compared to the rest of the choirs. The grades involved in bass choir range from freshmen to seniors, covering the whole high school spectrum. The students involved seem to enjoy bass choir and think it is a great addition to the school. We wish them good luck and a great year. Go bass choir!

 

And the Band Played On

BY EMILY VAUGHAN

 

A train whistle blared across the clear night sky. Some of the members of the Western Dubuque Bobcat Marching Band remember that a train went by last year when they were on Mount Pleasant’s football field, ready to perform. On Sept. 17 of 2011, that whistle blew on the night they won third place in the 3A division. Things were different then; now they are a 4A band, a 4A band of 69 members that went against other 4A bands that averaged around 100, maybe more.

“Drum majors Nikki White, Jenny Brehm, and Larissa Wilming, is your band ready?” the announcer called up from the judge’s box, as if some unseen entity, alerting both the band and the crowd. The band was facing the other direction, waiting for their drum majors to turn them around.

“Band, about face!” the drum majors commanded with a couple claps.

“One, two,” the band responded, turning around to face the audience.

“You may take the field,” the announcer said, and the drum majors raced to their posts.

The show went quickly, flying by as fast as they ran through their songs. “Peer Gynt Suite No. 1” seemed to be over as soon as Brooke Bockenstedt opened with her beautiful flute solo followed by Sam Nauman with his electric cello. “He Makes His Move” was over as soon as Trevor Then’s horn solo reached the audience’s ears. The crowd watched in complete silence for almost fifteen minutes until the flags began performing the Harvard Baseball Team’s dance to “Call Me Maybe”; the crowd cheered loudly. Almost as soon as they got a reaction, the band’s show was over, and they left the field in a stern silence even as the crowd cheered them on.

“You did great,” some passersby said. The band members politely thanked them, internally asking whether they had even watched the show. The show was over, and they could watch the other 4A bands. The other bands were great, their sound amazing and intimidating.

The gold sequins on the drum majors’ uniforms sparkled brightly in the harsh stadium lights as they waited on the track for the awards, along with the other drum majors. The Bobcat band waited in the stadium, both eager and dreading the announcement of the 4A placements.

After watching all the awards for “Best Drum Line” and “Best Color Guard” being awarded to other bands, the Bobcat band’s eagerness was quickly being squelched by a tidal wave of dread.

“Eighth place in the 4A division is the Western Dubuque Bobcat Marching Band,” the announcer said, the drum majors accepting their small trophy with as much pride as they would for first.

Back on the bus and on the way home, there were no tears or feelings of bitterness. Band members continued to laugh and chat happily, accepting their placement. It was not because they were bad; it was because they were up against people who were phenomenal. There was room for improvement as there always is, but one band member said it best to their half-asleep companion:

“We’ll get ‘em next time.”

 

Senior Spotlight

INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY MIRANDA HOGAN & RACHEL JACKSON

Name: Nikki White.

Age: 17.

Town: Worthington.

Activities: Band, volleyball, tennis, softball, 4-H, National Honor Society (NHS), chess club.

Favorite things about your activities: Favorite is volleyball because I love the sport. My teammates are great, and they make it fun.

Why you are in your activities: I like the aspects of it, and I love sports.

Plans after high school: Attend Iowa State and major in Engineering.

Dream job: A civil engineering job working on construction sites.

Favorite movies: I like funny movies; horror movies scare me, and I usually can’t watch the whole thing. I like Grease and the not animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Favorite actor/actress: Actor is Ryan Gosling and Liam Hemsworth., actress would be Jennifer Lawrence.

Favorite song: “Too Good to be True” by Edens Edge.

All about you: I am a middle child; I have three siblings. My family owns K&K Logo Designs. I live on a dairy farm. I’m really into sports, and I like to meet new people. I’ve been accepted to Iowa State, and I want to attend as an engineer student.

Name: Emily Schlarmann.

Age: 17.

Town: Worthington.

Activities: Involved in band and National Honor Society (NHS).

Favorite things about your activities: Band is fun. Each day offers new challenges and tasks to overcome, and ,when it all falls together, it is very rewarding. NHS has been a very prestigious honor.

Why you are in your activities: They’ve helped me build my leadership skills and teamwork abilities.

Plans after high school: I plan to attend Mount Mercy University and major in nursing.

Dream job: Someday, I want to be a care specialist at a major hospital.

Favorite movies: “Gone With the Wind” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”

Favorite actor/actress: Actor is Michael C. Hall from “Dexter.”

Favorite song: “Boris the Spider” by The Who.

All about you: I am the youngest child of 4. I think high school has been a fun and exciting ride, but I’m anxious to get off and move on with my life. For my social-norm project, I lifted shopping carts. A word of advice would be: Target carts are very heavy, so when you lift them and carry them, don’t hurt your back. It’s easier to use Wal-Mart carts. Wal-Mart also has wider aisles.

 

An Interview with the Varsity Volleyball Coach

BY ABBEY KOERPERICH

 

On Thursday, Sept. 15, 2012, I got the scoop on the Western Dubuque Girls’ Volleyball team. This is Varsity Head Coach Carrie Edgin’s 11th year at Western Dubuque coaching varsity volleyball. Edgin is also one of the two guidance counselors at Western Dubuque. Before she became a coach at WDHS, Carrie was an assistant volleyball coach at West Point Marquette and Beckman, and also a club coach for a number of years.

The returning letter winners are Brette Correy and Marissa Kluesner. This year’s toughest competition, according to Coach Edgin, will be Solon. “My goals for the rest of the season are to win our own tournament, meet statistical goals every match, have a high team GPA, and have a winning record,” said Coach Edgin. She also told the Westerner that she loves coaching both of her daughters, but they have to completely separate home from the court. “And I’m much harder on them than anybody else.” Coach Edgin’s favorite part of being the varsity coach this year is the exceptional group of girls she is able to work with. “They all work hard, never complain, and support each other!”

Please check out the WDHS website for dates and times of when the sports teams play and come out to support them all!

 

An Interview with Mr. Mark Digmann, Western Dubuque Cross Country



WDHS Cross Country runners Nick Webber(right) and Alex Daly race to the finish line at North Fayette.  

INTERVIEW BY ANA BARRETT

 

How has the 2012 cross-country season been going so far this year? Well, we are three weeks into the season and our main goal is to get the girls healthy and have the boys pack up. As usual, there are many injuries we need to take care of while it is still early in the season. We’ve put the work in; we just need to get everyone healthy. Our Junior Varsity boys won the meet Saturday, Sept. 8 at North Fayette.

 

How do the numbers look this year? This year is a rebuilding year for us because we lost a few strong seniors in the last two years. We have a large amount of freshman girls that show a lot of promise. We’re on the high end in terms of numbers this year with about 40 kids out, which is always great to have.

 

What are your goals for the season? I want to see the girls get quicker and have the boys move up if they want to have a chance of going to State. We’re 3A-good, not quite 4A-good. We also need to get Dakota Tell and Abby Heiderscheit healthy for the varsity girls’ team.

 

 

 

Math Club Population Multiplies

BY BRITTNI WENDLING & MEGAN KEMP

The Western Dubuque Math Club is off to a great start this school year! Sixty-three students have joined math club so far. There are a total of nine freshmen, 21 sophomores, 22 juniors, and two seniors. Not only has the club doubled in size, but it also has gained the opportunity to bring more people to math competitions. Math competitions are events where students gather and take on a series of college-level mathematic tests individually and with group members. Aside from math competitions, the math club also meets on a weekly basis to discuss different events, fundraisers, and even some math!

 

What was Your Favorite Homecoming Dress-Up Day?

What was Your Favorite Homecoming Dress-Up Day?

STUDENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY SYDNEY LUNDGREN

 

Student Council

BY RAEGAN HOEFLER, JUNIOR CLASS PRESIDENT

 

Hello Bobcats! The student council has been very busy since the beginning of the new school year! To start off, we had members represent Western Dubuque at the Dyersville area Relay for Life, where we sold pizza donated by Chad’s. We also held our annual back-to-school dance, which was a great success and got everyone excited about being a Bobcat!

 

On Sept. 11, we led a moment of silence for the entire school in remembrance of all those who have passed in the terrorist attacks eleven years ago. We would like to thank all of the civil servants who risk their lives every day to help save and protect others.

 

Along with all of this, we spent weeks planning every detail of Homecoming, from the powder-puff football game on Monday to the dance on Saturday. We are very proud to say it was a huge success once again!

 

In the upcoming weeks and months ,we will be planning our Veterans Day assembly and will be attending the Iowa State Leadership Conference. Last year at the conference, we were selected as the Iowa State Honor Council, the second highest award that can be given out to a high school student council. This year we have set our sights on the highest award!

 

Show Your Spirit

BY MOLLY BECKER

This year’s Western Dubuque High School Cheerleading squad is bigger and better. With 13 girls on the squad, the children’s cheer camp was a breeze. Teaching 94 young girls from pre-K through eighth grade in the north gym of the high school was no small feat. The squad also had their own camp after the youth camp, during which they learned new techniques, cheers, and stunts. Camp included a team-building exercise in which the squad had to get their teammates across a sea of lava (a red wrestling mat) with a pair of imaginary magic shoes. Another team-building exercise was a cheer night out, where the whole squad spent an evening together, having fun. This year’s cheer night out was a sleepover, which included Twister ™, horror movies, and a team-bonding games. With the new squad prepped and ready to go, they are looking forward to the upcoming season!

 

All-State Band and Choir

BY EMILY VAUGHAN

All-State is when band/choir students audition for a spot in the prestigious All-State orchestra or choir where they perform with the most talented music students in the entire state. The road to achieving this honor is filled with frustration and dedication, but what exactly does it entail? Ms. Tipple, the Western Dubuque Choir teacher, elaborated on what the choir students needed to do to compete:

 

Emily Vaughan: What do choir students need to do to compete?

 

Tipple: They have to learn seven songs, two in Latin and one in Creole (Haitian) at the Wartburg Camp in August, and they perform the songs [for judges] on Oct. 20. When they are actually there, however, the students find out what section they audition on. It usually varies whether the vocalists audition solo, in pairs, or in an ensemble.

 

EV: Who judges the auditions?

 

T: State-Association approved judges (who undergo certification tests), but the judges are music teachers or professors.

 

EV: Who are they [the choir students] competing against?

 

T: All the kids in the center area, like in Dubuque or Cedar Rapids.

 

EV: How many of your students have made it into All-State?

T: At least two every year or so.

 

EV: How do you pick students to audition?

 

T: I usually suggest it to a group of students I think would be interested, and then it’s their choice whether or not they want to audition.

 

The All-State Orchestra and Band auditions are held on Oct. 7 and is a very different process from the All-State Choir auditions. Mr. Omarzu explained the procedures for band students’ auditions:

 

Emily Vaughn: What do band students need to do to enter?

Omarzu: Play all their scales, play the required etudes, and play a solo of their [the student’s] choice.

 

EV: Who are the judges?

 

O: We never know but usually Iowa band directors.

 

EV: Who are they [the band students] competing against?

 

O: There are six districts, and we are the Northeast District, so they’re competing against students from Cedar Rapids all the way to 1-80.

 

EV: How many of your students have made it into All-State?

 

O: A dozen.

 

Noteworthy Bobcat

 

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALISSA BRICKMAN, A FLEETING MOMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

 

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY JACOB BARNWELL

 

Larissa Wilming, daughter of Steve and Jill Wilming, of Peosta, is currently a senior at Western Dubuque High School. Larissa has been involved in band for all four years of high school, jazz band for three years, and show band for two years. She has also participated in a number of honor bands around the area: WAMAC Honor Band, University of Iowa Honor Band, NEIBA Honor Band, and Wartburg Honor Band. Larissa has also participated in All-State auditions all four years of high school and earned second alternate in her sophomore year.  All of her hard work has paid off, and this year she has earned a spot as drum major for the marching band at WDHS. As one can see in her picture above, Larissa’s primary instrument is the clarinet, but she also plays piano and saxophone. Outside of WDHS, Larissa is involved in various music organizations: the Tri-State clarinet choir, the Tri-State wind symphony, and the Dubuque Youth Symphony. Outside of school and music, Larissa enjoys listening to music any chance she gets, drawing, painting, helping out with clubs she is involved in at school, spending time with family and friends, and being involved in as many activities as possible. Some of her activities include NHS, Tri-M, Art Club, Show Band, and Model United Nations. When asked what she enjoys most about the arts program at WDHS, she replied, “I love the passion all of the teachers put into their work every day. They pass it on to all of us and make the arts an exciting learning experience. They give us a chance at opportunities we couldn’t experience anywhere else.”

 

Benefits of High School Activities

SUBMITTED BY JOHN HLUBEK, ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

The following excerpts are taken from “The Case for High School Activities” published by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

At a cost of only one to 3 percent (or less in many cases) of an overall school’s budget, high school activity programs are one of the best bargains around.

 

ACTIVITIES SUPPORT THE ACADEMIC MISSION OF SCHOOLS. They are not a diversion, but rather they are an extension of a good educational program. Students who participate in activity programs tend to have higher grade-point averages, better attendance records, lower dropout rates, and fewer discipline problems than students generally.

 

ACTIVITIES ARE INHERENTLY EDUCATIONAL. Activity programs provide

valuable lessons for many practical situations. Through participation in activity programs, students learn teamwork, sportsmanship, winning and losing, the rewards of hard work, self-discipline, build self-confidence, and develop skills to handle competitive situations. These are qualities the public expects schools to produce in students, so they become responsible adults and productive citizens.

 

ACTIVITIES FOSTER SUCCESS IN LATER LIFE. Participation in high school activities is often a predictor of later success - in college, a career, and becoming a contributing member of society. A 1989, nationwide study by the Women’s Sport Foundation indicated that athletes do better in the classroom, are more involved in school activity programs, and stay involved in the community after graduation. The study, based on an analysis of data collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s High School and Beyond Study, indicated that girls receive as many benefits from sports as boys. Sports involvement was significantly related to a lower dropout rate in some school settings and minority athletes are more socially involved than non-athletes. Research conducted by Skip Dane of Hardiness Research, Casper, Wyoming in 1991 revealed the following about participation in high school sports: (1) By a 2-to-1 ratio, boys who participate in sports do better in school, do not drop out, and have a better chance to get through college. (2) The ratio for girls who participate in sports and do well in school is 3-to-1. (3) About 92 percent of sports participants do not use drugs. (4) School athletes are more self-assured. (5) Sports participants take average and above average classes. (6) Sports participants receive above average grades and do above average on skills tests. (7) Student-athletes appear to have more parental involvement than other students.